One Thing Writers Fear

I have been reading William Kenower's book Fearless Writing that came highly recommended by a fellow writer. I think the one thing that stood out for me more than any other is the author's premise that the greatest fear of writers is what other people think of what I write is more important than what I think of what I write. 

How many of us fall into that trap of writing only what we think our readers want? Probably a good number. We watch the trends and, if horror is the hottest thing on the market, we try to write a horror story. Or, if chick lit is flying off the shelves, we decide to try our hand at it even if we've never attempted to write for that audience before. It might sell, we think, and we're here to sell what we write.

Yes and no to that last statement. Of course, we all would like to be published, to slip that check into our pocket and rush off to the bank to deposit or cash it. We also need to write what pleases us, what makes us feel good when we finish the piece. 

One of our human traits is to want to please others and another is to be accepted by others, as well. Our innermost mind might think that we need to write what pleases others so they will like us and keep reading what we write and we'll keep writing what they want whether it pleases us or not. 

My thought on this is that we must produce a piece of writing that pleases us. If we are happy about all those words that have tumbled forth, then I think that is going to transfer to the readers. We need to remember that it may not be the writing itself a reader doesn't care for. Subject matter enters in, too. We should have learned long, long ago that there is no way to please everyone all the time. If the writer is satisfied, I think the reader will sense it. 

Have you ever finished a first draft, read it over and thought This is pure drivel! and filed it away as quickly as possible? It's in your files, you skim across the title now and then and hurry right past it. No way do you want to get the darned thing out and work on it. As an exercise this week, how about pulling one from the many languishing in your files and rework it in a way that pleases you, the writer, and nobody else. 

The writing that pleases you the most is almost always going to be something that you wrote from the heart. Passion for our subject comes through your words to the reader. 

Work towards believing that what you think of your writing is more important than what your readers think of it. You'll probably become a better writer and please your readers, too.